Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-04-07
THE RED SCAR.

THE RED SCAR.
When found myself stranded, so
TO speak, in the heart of Yucatan, l
was rather pleased than otherwise.
had been writing up the quaint old
ruins of that strange land for a New
York paper, and had turned my face
homeward, when | received a letter
requesting me to wait at San Pablo
Tor further instructions.
San Pablo interested me 1t was a
sleepy old Spanish village, with a big
cathedral, a plaza with the usual col.
lection ofadobe houses around it, and a
background ofsnowcapped mountains
Using boldly from a landscape OF tor
rid summer heats.
1t was here that l met with the most
puzzling experience of my life.
| was returning roma solitary ride
among the hills. The declining sun
warned me that darkness would over
take me if did not make haste, but
as | could see nthedistance the mas
sive towers of the cathedral, | felt no
uneasiness.
At one place my lonely road or mule
path skirted a deep ravine. which was
SO choked UP with a thick, scrubby
underground that ] was unable to see
anything but a tangled mass offoliage
and vines.
"a good place for an ambush /
said To myself.
The idea impressed me so that /
spurred my mule, but, to my surprise,
the usually docile animal stood stock
still.
"Senoril"
The voice RAM out from the depth
OF the ravihe, but it seemed to be at
my ear.
"Senor, halt"
As / halted, on account of nv
mules obstinacy, the command was
unnecessary.
STAND aside" / shouted, land let
me pass"
Just then | saw %protruding out of
the bushes in front of me the muzzle
of an old-fashioned blunderbuss, a
flint lock weapon in very general use
in Yucatan.
A shudder a down my spinal
column. i was unarmed, and the
blunderbuss was about the size OF a
small cannon. Resistance was not to
be thought OF.
81 surrender" Icried to my unseen
foe.
''The emo is sensible" SAID the
man with the big gun, as he leaped in
TO the road.
A rapid but close scrutiny of my
captor showed me a young man of
medium height, whose 1.-THE, sinewy
figure indicated exceptional activity
and strength. He wore a homespun
cotton suit, and the lace under his
sombrero had the brown tinge COM
mon to all the Y~ucatanese who were
of mixed Spanish and Indian blood.
The mans right temple was ~disfigured
by a peculiar scar, shaped liked a
crescent and OF fiery red color. Be-
yond this scar there was nothing
remarkable about his face. He had
regular features, thin cruel lips and
restless eyes like beads of jet.
Il will hold up my hands and you
al go through me-" said / pleasant
ly. "You don't want the mule, do
! you"
1.-THE senior is wrong. lido want the
mule" replied the robber, in a quiet,
self-possessed tone. The senior will
have the kin mess to dismount and
hold up his hands"
As there was no use in wasting
words, ! obeyed without objection.
The robber. with a quick jerk drew
my hands behind me and pinioned
them with a strip of rawhide. Then
he bound me securely to atree. After
finishing these preliminaries he emptied
my pockets OF the loose silver in them.
SIS that all senor?" he asked in dis
gust.
"Ail | have,"I answered.
THE senior has my sympathy"
said the rascal, with a vicious grin.
"But the mu!e is something"
The robber turned my steed to the
right about and jumped into the sad
| die.
Let the senior be patient" he said
as he rode of. "Some traveller will
release him. and it is not far to San
Pablo. Give Francisco's compliments
to the alcalde. Adios, senior, adios!"
And waving his hand he disappear
ed around a bend in the road.
So this was the noted highwayman,
Francisco, for whose head the Gov
ernor had offered a heavy reward
There was consolation inthe thought.
No one would blame me for surrender
ing to a daredevil who was considered
a match tor any three men in Yucca
tan.
But my train of thought was soon
interrupted in a pleasant manner.
Francisco had been gone perhaps a
quarter of an hour when a muleteer
made his appearance leading his little
burro along the narrow path. Hail
ing the stranger, / induced him to cut
my bonds and release rue. The mule
teer told me that / escaped lightly.
He gave Francisco a very black char
acter.
s'If this place had not been in sight
OF San Pablo" said he, "the cut
throat would have killed YOU"
The next morning the little town of
San Pablo was in a state of eruption.
Men, women and children rushed pell-
nell through the streets uttering wild
yells. Hooked out of the window sew
eral times, but could not make up my
mind whetherit was a revolution or a
holiday.
Threw myself on the bed and tried
TO get into a doze, and was succeeding
when the alcade rushed into my room
with a bevy OF his retainers and pull
ed me into a sitting posture.
"The senor's commands have been
obeyed," said the alcade excitedly.
aThe dog of a bandit has been arrest
ed, and will be tried before me at once.
But we need the senor's testimony.
Without the senior we can do nothing"
1t took me almost no time to dress
and accompany the little brown al
,.ada ond his hrownar alpuazils tO the